


Goodbye, Daddy

by KittyleFay



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Gay Billy Hargrove, Hospitals, I killed Neil, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, you’re welcome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 06:29:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18733498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyleFay/pseuds/KittyleFay
Summary: Billy says his last goodbye to his father.AKA the death we all REALLY want to see in future seasons.





	Goodbye, Daddy

Billy brings flowers to the hospital. Lilies, to be exact. His father had always hated flowers, especially lilies. “Too feminine,” he called them. He also wears a suit and ties his long blond hair back. He still wears an earring on his left ear, though instead of the charm he once cherished as a teenager, he wears one of his mother’s diamond earrings. She always did love them. 

He really shouldn’t be here. It isn’t good for him. All of his friends–God, he has _friends_ now!–said so. Even his therapist advised against it, since he’d already been through so much and a visit would only trigger him. Billy doesn't care if the trigger is so bad he was suddenly seventeen again and pounding the people he loved when he wasn’t fucking them over with how much he drank, smoked, or shot up. He just wanted to say goodbye. 

A nurse leads him to the room. He thanks her and smiles for the sickly man in the bed, who he barely recognizes, but greets with his best attempt at a smile: “Hi, dad!” 

Neil Hargrove does not respond. He can’t. All he can do is watch his son waltz into the room and place the flowers into a vase by his side and listen to the electronic tone of his pulse. _Beep. Beep. Beep._

“I thought you’d like these,” Billy says. “I know you always said that flowers were for faggots, but then again I am one, so what are you gonna do about it? Steve says hi, by the way. Actually, he said you could go to hell, but that sounds nicer, doesn’t it?”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“We’re doing fine, thanks. We just celebrated our third anniversary. You wanna know what we did? We pretty much spent the whole day in bed, just eating, drinking, talking, and fucking all day long until we went out for dinner to celebrate. That may not sound like much to you, but just being around him is enough for me. You have no idea how much that guy means to me. Even when I’ve been at my worst, working out those anger issues–thanks for that, by the way–he’s always kept me grounded and he’s always been there for me.”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“I wish someone loved you that much, Neil. I really do.”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“I guess that’s the difference between you and me.”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Against his own will, Billy laughs. “You wanna know something weird? If I were in your shoes, I’d have people coming to visit me: Susan, Max, Steve, Jane, and the rest of the party. But you? You’re all alone. The nurses even told me that you haven’t had any visitors coming here before me; not one. I’m not gonna lie, I feel sorry for you because, deep down, I think you know that no one loves you and that no one will miss you when you’re dead.”

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._  

Billy looks to the machine at Neil’s side, seemingly fascinated with the wires attached to it. The oxygen tube, in particular, catches his attention and he can’t resist the urge to squeeze it and twist it between his fingers. 

 _Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep._  

He can almost feel a smile on his face when he watches the way his father’s breath hitches until he lets go. 

_Beep. Beep. Beep_

“You _should_ be dead, Neil,” he continues. “I could pull the plug right now and put you out of your misery, but I’m not going to. See, I _could_ kill you now, lord knows I’ve wanted to for so long, but I’m not going to. I’ve got too much to lose now. I’ve got friends, I’ve got a family, and I’ve got an amazing boyfriend who loves me to death. I’ll never forgive you for what you put me through, Neil, but I’m not going to throw everything I have away because of you.”

Neil only makes the slightest change of expression when the word “boyfriend” is uttered. This, at least, makes Billy smile when he reaches into his pocket. 

“Speaking of Steve,” he continues. “Here are a few pictures we had copied for you. Would you like to see?”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“I thought you would. This one’s from our vacation in California a few months ago. Steve probably looks a little burned here ‘cause he mistook the moisturizer for sunscreen. This one’s from Jane’s birthday party. She’s a good kid, about Max’s age, and just as tough. This one’s from when we got the Ducati. Sorry about the Camaro, old man, but it turns out you can’t bribe a guy into liking pussy. This one is my favourite. Our friend Jonathan took that one when we weren’t looking. I mean, you don’t always look around when you’re making out with your boyfriend, do you? I was thinking of getting this one framed.”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Billy drops the last picture onto his father’s lap. “I’ll leave you with this one,” he says. “Don’t worry, Neil, I’ve got copies.”

Neil looks down on the picture. Though his body is practically frozen stiff, he begins to shake. Billy furrows his brow until he looks down at the old man’s hands. They are now clenched into fists. For a moment, he’s fourteen again and feeling both those fists cracking his jaw for kissing another boy at school. Long ago, the very thought would be enough to send him to hysterics. Now he wonders what he was so afraid of. 

Billy sits at Neil’s side and rests a gentle hand on a tight fist. 

“Save your energy,” he says softly. “It wouldn’t do any good anyway. Never did, you know.”

Soon, the shaking begins to cease and it takes all of Billy’s strength to keep from snatching his hand away.  

Billy checks his watch. 5:00pm. “Well, would you look at the time! I really should be going. It’s Steve’s birthday and he’ll be expecting me. Don’t tell him, but I’m gonna ask him to marry me tonight. Hope he says yes. Wish me luck!”

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Billy kisses his father out of spite. He imagines his lips leaving a brand on the old man’s withered and pale cheek. 

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

“Goodbye, dad,” Billy says one last time and leaves the room with a smile on his face.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Neil opens his mouth to say his last goodbye. All that passes through his dry lips is one last hollow breath.

_Beeeeeeeeeeeeep…_


End file.
